VOA常速英语2014--Small American Farms Struggling to Survive 美国家庭农场努力维持生存

Small American Farms Struggling to Survive 美国家庭农场努力维持生存

BOYDS, MARYLAND — American consumers have begun to take a closer look at the food they eat, and are hungry for more knowledge about food.  They want to know where their food comes from, what’s in it, and what nutritional 1 benefit it offers.  It's a trend away from mass-produced, processed foods, in favor of food that is organic, sustainably-produced, green, and locally grown.  The result has been a growth in small family farms that produce this kind of food.   

Wayne Cullen breeds show goats on his 24-hectare Cherry Glen farm in Boyds, Maryland, outside Washington D.C.

韦恩·卡伦带我们看他在华盛顿外马里兰州伯蒂斯的24公顷大的Cherry Glen农场。

For years he’s had a steady supply of goat milk from his herd 2.  So much, he didn’t know what to do with it all.  Then someone suggested he use the milk to make goat cheese.

多年来他的羊群都能提供稳定的羊奶供应，因为太多了，他不知道怎么来处理，有人建议他用羊奶来做羊乳酪。

“Somebody mentioned to us that we could make bulk chevre pretty easily.  And there was a strong market for it.  And they said we could make about $1,000 a goat a year.  And so that is what we decided 3 to do," said Cullen.

“有人建议做大块的羊乳酪，这在市场上很抢手，他们说这样一年一只山羊就能赚1000美元，所以我们就决定这么做了。”

Thinking he could take advantage of strong demand for locally-produced food products, Cullen invested half a million dollars to build a cheese making plant.  Eight years later he produces 68 kilograms of goat cheese a day in seven different varieties.  

卡伦琢磨着可以很好地利用市场上对当地产食物的强烈需求，于是他就投资了500万美元建造了奶酪加工厂。8年后他每天都能生产出7种不同类型的羊奶酪68公斤。

Although award-winning Cherry Glen goat cheese is sold in more than 50 stores and restaurants around the Washington D.C. area, Cullen has yet to turn a profit.

尽管他家工厂的奶酪在华盛顿地区方圆50多家商店和餐馆很受好评，但卡伦至今还没有盈利。

“There is a lot of competition.  It is hard to educate the store, cheese buyers in the stores [people who buy cheese for the store]  It is hard to educate the public," he said.

“竞争很激烈，很难说服商店、为商店采购奶酪的人，很难说服大众。”

Agricultural experts say Cullen is not alone.  According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, there were 6.8 million farms in the U.S. in 1935. Today farmers are producing more than ever on about two million large mechanized farms. 

农业专家说像卡伦这样情况的很多，据美国农业部报道，1935年美国有680万家农场，如今大约有200万家大型机械化农场，农场主们的产出更多了。

Sarah Hackney, with the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition 4, says food distribution markets are no longer set up to serve small family farmers.

莎拉·哈克尼就职于国家可持续农业联盟，他说现在已经不再设置食品分销市场来服务小家庭农场主了。

“Like a large production company, you know, it's easier for them to get distribution access." she said. "They can lock-in a sweatheart deal with a grocery chain at a really low price.  And so one of the challenges is that, if you are a smaller grower, You don't have those advantages coming in."

“要知道，像大型生产公司是很容易进入流通渠道的，可以以较低的价格与连锁食品杂货店达成协议，所以一大挑战就是，如果你是小农场主，那么你就不具备这些优势。”

Undeterred, Cullen is constantly looking for ways to cut costs and raise profits, and survive.

卡伦不惧困难，仍在坚持想办法削减成本、增加盈利并存活下来。

When he built the cheese-making plant, his electric bill went from $500 a month to $3,500. So he installed this array of solar panels which now produces all the electricity for the farm.

在建造了奶酪加工厂后，他每月的电费从500美元飙升到3500美元，所以他就建造了这排太阳能面板，现在的发电量能满足整个农场所用。

“For electricity with fossil fuels it is expensive.  It is depleting 5 the resources.  It is digging up and destroying the land," said Cullen.

“用化石燃料发的电比较贵，也是在消耗能源，会挖空和破坏土地。”

He also has some ideas to sell more cheese.  And grow into new markets.

他还想出提高奶酪销售量的法子，那就是进入更多市场。

“I think to do that [sell more] we need to develop some additional varieties.  And we have to have some strong marketing 6 people," he said.

“我想要提高销售量，就要开发更多类型的产品，我们必须有能干的营销人员。”

An advocate for small family farming, his goal is to become profitable within the next few years.  So one day, if they choose, his children and grandchildren can enjoy the pleasures of farming he has come to love.

作为小家庭农场的倡导者，卡伦的目标是在未来几年能实现盈利。那么有一天，如果愿意，他的子孙就可以享受他现在就喜欢的农场乐趣。